Actually, the fact that the potion didn't explode was a major accomplishment for Liam. That had managed to happen more than once in the past. He knew deep down that he should not have pursued Potions past his fifth year, but he hadn't wanted to ruin his appearance of success. It was all part of what he did to try and make a name for himself, to erase the stain on his family's name. That was the only reason he did anything. It was all for his family.
The words which came out of Addie's mouth at first confused Liam almost as badly as the potion instructions. He had absolutely no idea what she could possibly mean, but he of course had to respond like a smart-arse.
"Uh, apples and bananas?" he said, raising an ash blonde eyebrow at her curiously.
Irritation was coming off of Addie in waves, and Liam looked up at his tutor feeling rather bad for her, but keeping his face casually relaxed. Inside though he felt completely awful about how he had performed and what he was putting Addie through. He couldn't give up on passing this class, not if he wanted to make it in the Ministry of Magic, even if he was only doing this for the sake of his family, but he wished he didn't have to make anyone else suffer along with him.
In truth, it had been a minor miracle that Liam had been able to pass his Potion OWL exam with a high enough mark to continue onto the NEWT course. He had managed to find out, through no small effort, which potion they would be asked to brew during the practical portion of the test. Knowing the written test would be a piece of cake, he had spent weeks preparing himself just to brew this one potion. On the day of the exam he could remember he had been so nervous, but he'd pulled off a result that had been passable enough, along with his written test to earn him an Exceeds Expectations.
More speech from Addie pulled Liam back to the here and now, though he gave an indignant snort at what she had said.
"Yes, you caught me," he told her, his void laden with sarcasm as he looked at her with his green eyes, "I can't read and none of our teachers have noticed for the last five full years of schooling." He gave a small, snorting laugh and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms lazily above his head for a moment. "I couldn't tell you what the problem is, Riversong..." He trailed off, leaving it at that since that wasn't entirely a lie, and he hated . being dishonest when it wasn't himself he was being dishonest to.
Creativity
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Posted: 7/9/2019 at 8:37 PM
Post #12
Although her childhood situation was far from ideal, Addie tried not to allow herself to be slowed down by it. She spent holidays at Hogwarts when she could, and only went back to her father's disgusting hole every summer. She tried to focus on her studies, because really, it was best for her to set her future straight instead of dwelling on the issues of her home life.
She was open to the ideas of eventually allowing others into her life. The key word there, though, was 'eventually'. What she had to do, she had figured out very shortly into her time at Hogwarts, was find her niche in the wizarding world and secure it, so that she needn't have nowhere to go when she finally left her father. Then, she could at least have somewhere to go, something to do, a job that wanted her.
As she returned from cleaning out the cauldron, Iris meowed in pathetic want of attention and rubbed up against her. Leaning down again, Addie gave her a few strokes on the head, remembering briefly just why she had bought the feline in the first place.
Her heart clenched and her hand ached to touch the simple blue angel wing pendant around her neck, but she didn't want to draw attention to it. Instead, she balled her hand into a fist and held it close to her robe.
"No," she told Liam firmly when he quipped in response to her reference. "Oranges and lemons. Public execution. That's what this potion would mean for you if it were anyone who actually mattered witnessing it."
Rolling her eyes as he continued to just shoot off one smart remark after another, Addie felt herself getting dangerously close to her wit's end. She leaned back and crossed her arms across her chest, glaring into his green eyes with a sort of resentment and a raised eyebrow. "I don't know," she told him lamely. "You must have tricked whoever gave you your Potions OWL, or else you wouldn't be here."
Again, her voice lifted at the end, making her witty insult more of an insecure attempt at one. She berated herself mentally for accidentally inquiring - or so it would sound to him. She swallowed hard and lifted her chin, trying to show a confidence that she didn't really have.
Edited By Creativity on 7/9/2019 at 9:34 PM.
Britters
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Posted: 7/10/2019 at 4:47 PM
Post #13
Things at home for Liam were...well, he didn't think it was fair to say that they were bad, especially when he knew things could be worse. However, life with his parents was far from enjoyable when he had to go home during the holidays. HIs father spent pretty much every waking hour with a glass of Firewhiskey in his hand, and his mother was so unrealistically happy and oblivious to everything that he often wondered if she even noticed him most of the time.
The biggest problem Liam had when it came to dealing with his parents and his home life, was that as much as he hated what his parents had done to themselves in the last five years...he understood. His grandfather's arrest had had a huge impact on their lives as well as their reputation as a family. His parents had both retreated into their own little worlds, leaving their son alone as he tried to navigate them back into the light. It was why he was working so hard towards a career goal he didn't even want.
And it was also why Liam was putting both himself and Addie through the torture of this tutoring...
"That seems a bit harsh," he said to Addie, his tone conversational as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Though, I suppose dying with an audience isn't do bad..." He gave her a sly sideways glance and a crooked little smile, green eyes gleaming humorously.
Now, Liam prided himself at being a Hufflepuff. It was his one accomplishment that he'd been given purely on the basis of who he was on the inside, and not because of his carefully curated mask of popularity and success. Some of the traits which his House prided themselves in were dedication and being a hard worker. Listening to Addie continue to berate him was no skin off of his back...until she started to demean his work ethic. Then he sat up a little straighter, his usual expression of casual laziness turning slightly serious as he looked at her.
"As a matter of fact," he said to her, his tone not harsh or angry, but no less firm, "I passed my exam on my own merit. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever done, and even the potion that I brewed on that occasion was not up to what I'm sure your standards are, but it also didn't explode in anyone's face and was approximately the proper color. I also studied as hard as I possibly could to pass the written portion with flying colors, and between the two things I managed to pass with an E." He paused to take a deep breath, his face and posture relaxing once more.
"Please, insult me and my intelligence all you want, but do not call me a cheater."
Creativity
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Posted: 7/10/2019 at 6:43 PM
Post #14
There was something in Liam's eyes, some sort of reaction that Addie hadn't been anticipating when she made the remark about whoever gave him his Potions OWL. She knew immediately that she had royally screwed up somewhere, and the sudden fire that she saw in Liam's eyes, combined with the firm tone that his voice took when he began to calmly explain to her how he had passed it, only succeeded in intimidating her.
The rage. His rage. She could feel it coming off of him in waves. The way it translated to her was in that of fear. She wanted to hide. She wanted to get away. But... She was rooted. Stuck. She couldn't move. 'Get over here,' he demanded, his voice solid as a rock. What could she do but obey?
At his final line, his final declaration that she was wrong and lesser, Addie visibly flinched and took a few steps back, away from him. She lowered her head a little and glared at Liam, but was unable to make any words. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish, and she took another step back.
Step one, get up. Step two, dust yourself off. Step three, bandage your wounds. Step four, hide.
"I think we ought to wrap up the lesson for today."
That's all she was able to manage, but her voice was quiet, and lifted in the end like a question. She forced her hands into fists at her sides, holding them close so they wouldn't shake with the leftover sudden fear of the moment. She remembered the fact that she had used her own potions book in the lesson, and took a deep breath, holding it as she stepped forward and snatched the book - as well as her satchel - up.
She tucked the book into her satchel, not wanting to turn her back yet. It was always the worst when she was attacked from behind. Once everything was gathered, she turned and fled the room as calmly as she was able to portray.
Britters
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Posted: 7/11/2019 at 2:45 PM
Post #15
Now, Liam was not the most intuitive human being to ever grace the planet, but he wasn't dense enough to not notice how Addie reacted to his declaration. It didn't take a genius to realize that she was upset, perhaps even a little frightened, not that he had any idea what he'd done to cause this. He certainly hadn't meant to upset her by what he'd said, and he didn't remember that he'd sounded especially harsh at all. Yet, as he watched her retreat after announcing their tutoring session was done for the day, he couldn't help but feel...well, guilty.
"Hey, I...," he began, the sentence dying on his lips as she slipped out the door before he could finish. He was left alone in the classroom, staring at where Addie has exited, trying to understand what had just happened...
-----
Five days later and Liam was striding down a familiar corridor, on his way to one of his favorite classrooms. Of course, his mind was less favorably engaged as he walked. He'd spent the better part of the week, ever since his first tutoring session, trying to find Addie and his constant failure to do so had become quite frustrating. To be entirely fair, his Quidditch training schedule had gotten busier in anticipation of their upcoming game, but still he couldn't under how he'd managed to not run into her so far.
Normally, if a person was being this elusive, Liam was sensible enough to respect their privacy, but he was quite determined to find Addie so he could apologize to her. He still had no idea what he had done to upset her, but the fact that she'd been upset was undeniable. However, she managed to slip away after every class they had together, she was almost never present at meal times, and for the life of him he could not figure out where it was she spent all of her free time. He had even asked a few of her fellow Ravenclaws with absolutely no luck.
Arriving at his destination, Liam walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, smiling genuinely despite his thoughts just moments before. He truly loved this place.
"Sorry, I'm late, Professor Cranthorn," he said to the woman standing at the front of the classroom, who happened to be his Head of House, "Practice ran long today."
"Quite alright, Mr. Fitzpatrick," Cranthorn responded, her voice somewhat weary though there was a soft smile on her face, "I was just about to split the students into groups for you and the other volunteers. Please go stand by Miss Riversong and wait." She turned her attention back to the group of third years standing before her.
Yes, today Liam and the other older students standing around the room were not here for a lesson of their own. Instead, they were here as an extra credit assignment where they were to assist in teaching the third years students. He wasn't thinking about that, though. His mind was completely occupied by what Professor Cranthorn's words had indicated. There, standing by herself in one corner of the room, was the target of his semi-frantic searching the last five days.
"Riversong," he said, keeping his voice a little low as Cranthorn had begun speaking to her class again, "I've been looking for you." He smiled at her as he leaned against a spot of wall next to where she was standing, trying to exude nothing but relaxed friendliness.
Creativity
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Posted: 7/11/2019 at 3:58 PM
Post #16
Defense Against the Dark Arts was, hands down, Addie's least favorite class. It didn't have to do with the subject matter itself, for the most part, of course. In fact, she loved learning about everything magic-related. All of her life, this wonderful wizarding world had been here, and she was only opened to it when she was eleven. All of the stories when she was young about magic, the fairy tales - they could be real. Because, you know, magic was real!
However... Addie had always had a difficult time defending herself, her entire life. It was mostly Rosalie that would defend her... Defense was in the name of the class, though, and that meant that it was the most difficult for her. On paper - from the textbook - she knew it. Cover to cover. She could tell you exactly how the cycles of the moon impacted a werewolf, or how each Unforgivable curse broke down. She could tell you how to defend against a curse, or cast a patronus charm; she just couldn't do it...
There had been an extra credit assignment that Professor Cranthorn posted, and Addie had jumped on it. Anything to make up for her lack of practicality in the subject. She knew that they'd be giving third years a more in-depth teaching of boggarts, and Addie was fine with that.
Back when she was a third year, she had stayed at the back of the line when it came to practice the Riddikulus charm, and luckily, some kid broke down crying over his worst fear before she even got to the front of the line. She knew she wouldn't have been able to do it. She went to Professor Cranthorn after class hours, though, and she had learned how to at least conquer a boggart. If only she could do the same for more difficult beings of the dark arts...
She was huddled in a corner, staring down at the floor and trying her best to ignore all of the other sixth years. Many of them were Ravenclaws, and while she loved her house, her house didn't always love her... No one did, really. She quickly shook the thought out of her head, forcing herself not to look at the window that was just a few feet to her left.
Her hands, crossed over her chest, twitched in surprise at Liam's sudden voice, and she slowly brought her gaze to meet his, her mouth a straight, unmoving line. She took in his Quidditch robes which he still wore, and the fact that he was, of course, late. Unimpressed, she looked back to the floor as he leaned next to her. Part of her wanted to inch away, but there was a wall right next to her, and she was, by all means, trapped.
At his confession - 'I've been looking for you' - she cast him a small glance of surprise, but quickly averted her gaze again. Not many people looked for her, and those who did, didn't admit to doing so after deciding that she was simply unfindable - even for a Hufflepuff such as himself.
He was relaxed beside her, and smiling, and with an inward sigh, she decided that he deserved some kind of reply. So, it was with the more cheerful voice she could muster at the moment that she told him, "Don't."
Britters
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The Eggstraordinaire
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Posted: 7/11/2019 at 5:18 PM
Post #17
The love that Liam had for Defense Against the Dark Arts was not just founded on the fact that his Head of House was the teacher, but also because he loved the very nature of the magic they were taught here. As a Hufflepuff, he was a very loyal and dedicated person, and while Gryffindors were the ones known for their courage, he felt like his house was often forgotten for their own brand of bravery. Learning how to defend himself and others, understanding the threats they might face, made him feel powerful and proud, because protecting those that they loved was just as much a trait of Hufflepuff as any other.
"Don't what?" he asked Addie automatically, his ash blonde eyebrows furrowing together in confusion at her single word reply.
For a moment Liam was interrupted by a small commotion as the third year student all began to walk around the room, clearly looking for their assigned sixth year. He stood up a little straighter as the last group of six started to make their way over but he still felt focused on Addie. She confounded him something awful, and he didn't like feeling so much at a loss for something to day or do. He was usually much more sure of himself when it came to interacting with his fellow students and his professors.
"Look," he said again in a hurried whisper, the half dozen third years nearly upon them, "I just wanted to apologize for the other day. I clearly did something to upset you, and I'm sorry." His green eyes shone sincerely as he looked at her.
Even though I don't know exactly what I did... the unspoken words sounded in his head like a gong, and for a moment he worried he might actually utter them. Thankfully, the third years finally arrived in front of them, providing with welcome cover. They all looked somewhat nervous, and several of them stared openly at him. He grinned down at them, used to the attention he garnished as a star of his Quidditch team for the last four years.
"Hi, guys," he said to them cheefully, "Who's ready to battle some boggarts?" He clapped his hands together with a gleeful smile, his excitement palpable.
Creativity
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Posted: 7/11/2019 at 5:38 PM
Post #18
Although the people in her house weren't exactly fond of her - as everyone, of course, preferred her popular counterpart - Addie did love Ravenclaw. She loved, also, what being a Ravenclaw meant. A passion for creativity, and a passion for learning. Just knowing that the sorting hat had put her in such a wonderful house had helped her out of a few low points over the years. She felt connected to the house, and she idolized the Founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, with an almost obsessive collection of random knowledge about her at her disposal.
Addie softened a little from her cold, distant exterior as the six third-years nervously approached her and Liam. She had always had something of a soft spot for children. Over summers, she took babysitting gigs outside of her regular part-time job - to earn money, she'd say, but the truth was that she really did like children. The third years weren't that young, but they still were a good bit younger than her, and that was enough.
Her nose wrinkled a little in aversion as she watched Liam treat them as if he were some kind of celebrity. Well... He kind of was. Kind of. Not that Addie would ever admit it to his face. She did not care for Quidditch, personally - never had.
At some point, she knew something had to give, and she stepped forward, forcing her arms down to her side and completely ignoring Liam's apology. She'd deal with it later. For now, they had to focus on the reason why they were even here.
"As you know, this is Liam Fitzpatrick, and I'm Addie Riversong," she introduced them to the third years. "If you'll come with me, we'll head over to the closet that has the boggart you all will be facing today inside. We will demonstrate for you as we cast the Riddikulus charm on our own versions of the boggart, and then we'll let you all have your tries."
Britters
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Posted: 7/11/2019 at 6:57 PM
Post #19
People in Liam's house loved him. People in other housed loved him. At least, thats the way they treated him. None of them really knew the real him, just the appearance he gave them at all times. He also suspected that many of them harbored hidden hatred towards him and his family, perhaps even spoke about him behind his back, though he'd never heard such gossip himself. He supposed be was fond of the attention, it felt good on most days, but in the end he didn't truly believe that anyone was actually fond of him, just his persona.
When Addie took over with introductions and gave the students a summary of what they were going to do today, Liam was only too happy to let her. He wasn't great and speaking publicly with any finesse. His strength was in performing, and that was where he planning to excel in this lesson. He could remember facing his own boggart in his third year, recalling how much more nervous he'd been back then, just like the youngsters standing in front of him now. They would remember today just as he did.
"The most important thing to remember," he started to explain to them, walking backwards with casual confidence so he could face them as they made their way to their assigned closet, "You must keep your vision of what you want your boggart to turn into firmly in your mind. Your goal is to make it funny, because laughter is what banishes a boggart. Make sense?" There was a collection of nods from the assembled third years.
"Excellent! Now, if my partner here doesn't mind, I will demonstrate first." He looked over at Addie expectantly, smiling as always. She gave a small nod, though she looked a bit...tense.
Turning towards the closet, which had begun to thrash about now that the boggart within could sense it's prey nearing, Liam's entire demeanor changed. He planted his feet firmly, his back straight so that his stance was solid and strong. He pulled his wand fluidly from the pocket of his robes, taking a deep breath as he faced the closet confidently. With a small, practiced flick of his wrist, the knob turned, the door sprang open and the boggart emerged. As he had expected...a large pewter cauldron was sliding slowly towards him.
"Riddikulus!" he shouted without hesitation, pointing his wand at the cauldron with zeal.
The cauldron retreated a few inches, and then it suddenly grew a large foot out of its bottom, it's surface quickly grew covered with large green warts, and as it started hopping around in a circle, the sounds of a braying donkey came from inside of it. Just as quickly as Liam had assumed his serious, prepared stance, he found himself doubled over with very genuine laughter as the cauldron continued it's hopping dance.
"Okay, okay," he said through his mirth, happy to note that several of the third years wete also giggling, "You're up, Riversong!" He stood back to give Addie room to face her own boggart version.
Creativity
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Posts: 5,852
Posted: 7/11/2019 at 8:02 PM
Post #20
It was insufferable. Liam was insufferable. He reveled in the fame that his Quidditch position and prowess offered him, and he put it on display for everyone to enjoy and bolster. Fame. There were more important things. There was far more important ways to spend time than gathering fame. He was walking backwards, facing the third years so they could stare in awe at his stupid smile and stupid handsome face.
Her left hand began to tremble a little, and she quickly moved it, pretending to search in the left pocket of her robe for a key of some sort. She made a point of pulling out the nonexistent key and unlocking the wardrobe that was jumping with anticipation - or, rather, the boggart was.
Liam wanted to go first, and she had no issue with that. She gave him a terse, impatient nod, anxiety about her own boggart beginning to hit her. Of course, she had no issue with boggarts. As explained before, she had mastered the Riddikulus charm. But... Well, she had a tendency to stress.
At Liam's boggart - a cauldron - Addie tilted her head a little, studying it. A cauldron. Like... A potions cauldron. Now, whatever could that mean? Her eyes narrowed a little as she watched him turn it into a warty, braying pot that hopped on one foot, reminiscent of a wizarding child's story she'd read once. A cauldron? Did that mean...failure, perhaps? The one subject that he lacked in was the subject he feared? It certainly fit with the rest of his persona, since he never did seem to fail...
Once it was her turn, the stress returned, and Addie had to steel herself with a deep breath before stepping forward. The hopping pot - or, boggart - took one look at her, felt her fear, and began to transform. It quickly assumed the shape of a 200 pound man with thinning dark hair and a cruel, pinched face. His white tank was stained with something or another, and his sweats clung tightly to his large waist. He laid eyes on her, and immediately, the rage was present.
Addie felt herself freeze up. It wasn't until he took a step towards her that her right hand flew into her pocket and withdrew her want. "Riddikulus!" she hissed at him, the image she had clung to since third year present in her mind.
Her father quickly changed, his tank and sweats disappearing in favor of a too-tight ballerina's outfit, complete with a pink tutu and everything. He looked angry still as he was forced to spin around with his arms above his head, his abnormally thick chest hair poking out the top of the costume.
At the silly image, most of the third years burst into laughter, and even Addie managed to crack a smile. She still felt a little overwhelmed, so she didn't trust herself to speak. She merely stood and avoided looking at Liam, instead watching the dancing boggart.
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